Never compromise charity

PREFER to suffer rather than compromise charity. That

should be our attitude every time we find ourselves in some heated

discussion, debate or argument, especially in matters that are open to

opinion. You can be sure you would be resembling yourselves more with

Christ than with anybody else.

            Christ preferred to suffer and eventually die rather than

defend himself or insist on the correctness of his teachings and his

actuations. He knew that man, who has been created in the image and

likeness of God, would eventually stray from the right path and would

just have to be dealt with charity. That is how man would be saved

from his—our—earthly predicament.

            Let’s remember that we are all sinners. (cfr. 1 Jn 1,8)

This predicament started even with our first parents who, in spite of

being created in the state of original justice, managed to sin. God

knows this very well, but this does not diminish his love and concern

for us. In fact, this predicament makes God to love us more by sending

his son who became man to bear all our sins and save us.

            Christ did not come to condemn us but rather to save us.

(cfr. Jn 3,17) And so he just absorbed all the mockeries, insults, the

scourging and crowning with thorns, and eventually the crucifixion.

            This is how St. Peter described the reaction of Christ in

those moments of trials: “When they hurled their insults at him he did

not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he

entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Pt 2,23)

            We should just try our best, with God’s grace, to imitate

this kind of reaction in our differences and conflicts with others,

especially in matters that are open to opinion, like in our political

preferences.

            There is no need to be adamant in our views and opinions,

because no matter how strongly we feel about our thinking, we do not

have the exclusive possession of what is right and wrong, what is fair

and unfair. Even those who we are sure to be wrong in their views,

have some valid reasons for their opinions.

            Let’s never forget that in the life of Christ, even those

who betrayed him and persecuted him till death, had a role to play in

the providence of God. We can cite the example of Caiaphas, the high

priest at that time, who according to the gospel prophesized that it

was better for one man to die than for the whole Jewish nation to

perish. (cfr. Jn 11,50)

            Thus, in our effort to uphold what we think is right over

wrong, what is true over the untrue, what is fair over the unfair, let

us never fall into what is called as bitter zeal that would compromise

charity that is essential in our life.

            Yes, we can be forceful in promoting and defending our

views, but let’s never forget that in doing so, it is never licit nor

moral for us to fall into any act that goes against charity.

            This is obviously not easy to do, given our wounded

condition. That is why we have to wage a continuing struggle to

identify ourselves more and more with Christ, asking for grace,

developing the proper attitudes, virtues and skills, and learning to

make many self-denials as Christ himself encouraged us to do.

            We should be ready to suffer and to experience what is

considered as loss and defeat in human terms. Christ also ‘failed’

when he was made to die on the cross, but he resurrected and won for

us what is most important in our life.

            We should not be easily deceived by the momentary earthly

and temporal perks that can compromise our eternal salvation. We have

to learn to be sport and always constructive in our reactions.